Tenerife Travel Guide

Tenerife is the largest island of the Canarian Archipelago. It has a surface area of 2,034 square kilometres and is in a central position between the islands of Gran Canaria, La Gomera and La Palma. It is located over 1000 kilometres from the Spanish mainland. The shape of the island looks like an irregular triangle. Its three corners are formed by the Anaga, Teno and Adeje Massifs and at its centre, rising above the Cañadas Caldera is Mount Teide, the highest mountain in Spain at 3,718 metres above sea-level.

The natural diversity on Tenerife is extraordinary and the efforts to conserve it by the island’s institutions and citizens are increasing every day. Today over half its territory is protected and there are almost 50 sites of ecological interest listed. The most famous of all these sites is the Teide National Park, one of the four national parks in the Canaries, and the most visited in Spain. The Corona Forestal Nature Park and the Anaga and Teno Rural Parks are also worth a mention. The exceptional ecological value of Tenerife includes over 600 species of flora and fauna that are unique in the world.

Tenerife is divided into 31 administrative districts grouped together in three different zones. The city of Santa Cruz de Tenerife (the capital) and the adjoining districts of La Laguna (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Tegueste and El Rosario make up the metropolitan area of the island creating an important business, commercial and cultural centre. The Anaga Massif and the Esperanza Mountains are outstanding areas of natural beauty in this zone. As for beaches and swimming, the best ones are Playa de Las Teresitas, the Parque Marítimo César Manrique and the seaside towns of Bajamar and Punta del Hidalgo.

The north of the island, from Tacoronte to Buenavista del Norte, enjoys a pleasant subtropical climate, wetter and cooler than the rest of Tenerife. After the conquest, the north was the most important area in terms of population and industry. Although they are not as important today, the towns still preserve their rich heritage based on trade with Europe. Puerto de la Cruz – Valle de la Orotava and the Isla Baja are the main tourist areas in this part of the island.

In the south, from Candelaria to Santiago del Teide, the climate is the warmest and driest on the island. Here you have the main tourist resorts apart from Puerto de la Cruz in the north and the largest farming areas (inside greenhouses) that grow tomatoes, bananas and other crops. The south, for years the least populated and most isolated area of the island, is now experiencing the fastest growth and development.

The Canary Islands also known as the Canaries (Spanish: Canarias), are a Spanish archipelagolocated just off the northwest coast of mainland Africa, 100 km west of the border between Moroccoand the Western Sahara. The Canaries are one of Spain’s 17 autonomous communities and anoutermost region of the European Union. The islands include (from largest to smallest): Tenerife,Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera, El Hierro, La Graciosa, Alegranza,Isla de Lobos, Montaña Clara, Roque del Este and Roque del Oeste…….Read More

The earliest known history of Tenerife begins with the Guanche people. They were original inhabitants of the island and their presence can be dated back to about 200BC. Unlike the typical Spaniard, who is dark haired with olive skin, these people had fair hair and were tall, with a Scandinavian appearance. In Tenerife today, you can see many native Tinerfeños with fair hair and they are descended from the Guanches. When in Tenerife, you may have seen hotels or businesses incorporating the word “Tinerfe” in their name and thought it maybe was a variation on the name “Tenerife” (as I did). This is the island’s way of honouring the history of Tenerife, because, apparently, this was the name of one of the original Guanche “menceys”, or monarchs, of the island and he is still remembered even now……..Read More

Although there are a number of theories which explain the genesis of Tenerife, they all agree on an irrefutable reality: its volcanic origin, of which signs can be found all over the Island, from Mount Teide National Park to the beaches of black, volcanic sand, and including the lunar landscapes and the aromas, flavours and tones of the Island’s wines.…….Read More

Tenerife is the largest sibling of the 14 million year-old family of the Canary Islands and true to its Spanish heritage, hosts some of the most colourful fiestas and carnivals in Spain. The towns and villages of Tenerife come alive throughout the year with numerous celebrations, festivals and “romerías” (lively pilgrimages held in honour of the Virgin Mary or a local Patron Saint), many which stem from religious roots…….Read More

Playa de las Américas is a purpose-built holiday resort in the southern and southern-west part of the Municipality of Arona, close to the adjoining Municipality of Adeje in the west of Tenerife, one of the Canary Islands. It was built in the 1960s beside the town of Los Cristianos and stretching west to the Costa Adeje. The resort area features bars, nightclubs, restaurants, attractions, and beaches, most of which are man-made……..Read More

Los Cristianos is a town in Spain situated on the south coast of the Canary Island of Tenerife. Located in the municipality of Arona between the cone of the mountain Chayofita and the greater mountain Guaza. The town centre is around the Los Cristianos bay, but is rapidly expanding inland with modern development. The town is a popular tourist resort and includes a ferry port………Read More

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